Debating which players belong in the Hall of Fame and which ones should come short is usually a very hotly contested issue. If someone is inducted, they are some of the best players in the sport. Considering the qualifications to get in, if Claude Giroux is never enshrined in the Hall of Fame, it would be nothing short of a travesty.
Giroux’s Accomplishments Compared to Hall of Fame Players
Before the beginning of the 2023-24 season, Giroux’s career statistics are sitting at a total of 1,100 games played, 329 goals, 673 assists, and 1,002 total points. Considering the era in which he played nearly all of his prime years was lacking in terms of scoring, this is pretty impressive. To do justice to the current Ottawa Senator’s total, it is important to compare his accomplishments to those of his teammates during his best years.
Giroux did not truly blossom into his own until the 2010-11 NHL season when he started to become the face of the Philadelphia Flyers franchise. From that point until he was traded from the team on March 19, 2022, he compiled 826 points in the regular season in 876 games, good enough for a 77-point pace in an 82-game season. Despite getting flack for his postseason play, his 47 points in 56 games in this span, which would be 68 points in an 82-game season, are respectable.
Related: Former Philadelphia Flyer Claude Giroux: Hall of Fame Worthy?
Giroux’s teammates did their absolute best to help the Flyers win championships, but his dominance shows when compared to them. His highest-scoring teammate other than himself every individual season from the start of the 2010-11 NHL season until he left the organization combined for 757 points in the same 876 games, which is on pace for 71 points per 82 games. In the playoffs, they were much better, with 51 points in 56 games for a 75-point pace per 82 games.
Contrary to what some generational stars would have you believe, it is not exactly the standard for Hall of Fame players to outscore their teammates like Giroux did as a whole. Elected to the Hall of Fame on June 27, 2022, Daniel Alfredsson was one of the most iconic players of his generation. Entering the league during his age-23 season, this comparison actually works out well, as that’s when the former Flyers’ 2010-11 campaign began.
In the same time frame as Giroux, Alfredsson scored 758 points in a lesser 783 games, which is a pace of 79 points per 82 games. In the postseason, he notched 80 points in 99 total games, which comes out to a pace of 66 points per 82 games. Conversely, his teammates did an excellent job as well. In 861 total games, the highest-scoring teammate of his for each season scored 868 total points, which is a pace of 83 points per 82 games. In the playoffs, they also one-upped him with a total of 90 points in 99 games. In an 82-game span, this would register 75 total points.
Even for a Hall of Fame talent like Alfredsson who was never able to capture a Stanley Cup nor a major NHL award measured by statistics other than the Calder Trophy, it is not normal to be as dominant as Giroux was year after year. Every case is unique, but this is a major reason why he should be a near-lock for the Hall of Fame before his career has even finished.
Giroux’s Dominance of the 2010s
It is no secret that Giroux was one of the best players of the 2010s. He was so incredible that he finished fourth in the NHL in points last decade with 741 in 763 games. This was only behind Patrick Kane, Sidney Crosby, and Alexander Ovechkin. As it turns out, this is a very exclusive list. It is so exclusive that there is not a single player that has finished in the top-four in points for a decade that is Hall of Fame eligible that has not been elected to the club.
As it stands, the only players who are not in the Hall of Fame that finished in the top-four in points for a certain decade are the three aforementioned in Kane, Crosby, and Ovechkin, but this list also includes the still-active Jaromir Jagr and Joe Thornton. With each of these options being all but guaranteed to make the Hall, why is Giroux excluded from this group? From the NHL’s introduction on Nov. 26, 1917, no retired player who has accomplished what he did was unable to earn a nod into a group with hockey’s greatest. If he is never inducted, he will be the first player in over a century to not have this honor. For a player that is no stranger to heartbreak, this would be par for the course.
Even though Giroux never won a Hart Trophy, he came close on several occasions. His 1,444 total votes in the 2010s finished 10th for the decade. He joins some elite company in that top-10, with only Crosby, Ovechkin, Kane, Connor McDavid, Nathan Mackinnon, Nikita Kucherov, John Tavares, Carey Price, and Evgeni Malkin finishing ahead of him. Value to a team matters, and the veteran was that for the Orange and Black for a long period of time.
Championship Status Should Not Exclude Giroux
A genuine detriment on Giroux’s career is the fact that he has not been able to capture a Stanley Cup. He has not hung up the skates just yet, but his time is ticking. If he ends his career without a championship, his Hall of Fame chances should not decrease.
Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin, who played their entire careers with the Vancouver Canucks, were officially inducted into the Hall of Fame on Nov. 14, 2022, despite never hoisting a Stanley Cup. For this to be the case, they must have been significantly more accomplished than Giroux, right?
Combined, the twins finished in the top-three for NHL scoring on three occasions. By himself, Giroux matched this total with three top-three finishes of his own. In addition, the highest-scoring Sedin was Henrik, who scored 1,070 total points in only 1,330 games in the league. The former Flyer could likely match this point total as soon as this season, considering he is just 68 points behind with 230 games to spare.
Being in the 1,000-point club is no joke, and it is something that all three of these players have done. The current Senators’ winger did this in fewer games than 12 of the 97 total players to do it, including the Sedins.
Giroux’s Longevity is a Strength
While it might be held against him at a later date when determining his total points per game (P/G), Giroux’s longevity is a huge plus. With 16 seasons under his belt and scoring at a pace of 0.91 P/G, he is still one of the most efficient point scorers still active in the league today.
In the modern day, Giroux is a similar player to Joe Pavelski of the Dallas Stars. At 39 years old, Pavelski is still a major contributor to a championship-caliber team. Being a valuable asset to an NHL team at that age is something that can only be accomplished by the best of the best.
For the Senators in 2022-23 in his age 35 season, Giroux scored a career-high in goals at 35 as well as 79 total points in 82 games. He was also given Selke Trophy consideration for his incredible two-way play, but ultimately finished well shy of a spot as a finalist. He continues to show no signs of slowing down.
He is not a perfect player, and obviously has some shortcomings. However, Giroux was one of the best players of his era, and the qualifications to make the Hall of Fame in recent memory suggest that he should be among them without a doubt.
